Eric Trump Responded to His Dad’s Ignorant “Pocahontas” Comment and the Internet’s Not Having It

Nope.

On November 27, during a ceremony at the White House, President Donald Trump referred to Senator Elizabeth Warren as "Pocahontas." It's not the first time he's done so, but this time, the president's remark came while honoring Navajo Code Talkers, a group of esteemed Native American veterans who served in World War II. Many Americans were upset by the president's behavior, including Senator Warren, who responded to the president's remarks soon after to condemn his use of what she considers to be a "racial slur."

In news that should surprise no one, Trump's son Eric came to his father's defense on Twitter, and if we're being perfectly honest here, he seems a little confused.

President Trump isn't using "Pocahontas" to describe Warren not as a reference to the 1995 Disney movie, but rather to imply that the Oklahoma-born senator is not to be taken seriously for having once claimed that her ancestry included Native people. (As the Washington Post noted, Trump's comment was also ignorant because in calling Warren "Pocahontas," he compounded all Native people into one group: "At an event to honor Navajo heroes, he used the name of a Powhatan woman to disparage a senator who claimed Cherokee ancestry.") Trump made this comment before Native veteran heroes, whose service and sacrifice as enlisted men of color should be afforded more respect by the nation's leader. Additionally, the ABC reporter called out by Eric Trump was doing his job by analyzing the president's remarks.

But let's be clear: contextually this comment was uncalled for, extremely inappropriate, and indefensible, and it's a reach for Eric Trump to conflate this all and try to defend his father. Thankfully, the Internet wasted no time in pointing out his error and his efforts to shift the blame.